Jin Yuanxun returned to Chu Tianqiu’s side at the fastest speed possible, finding Chu Tianqiu calculating something on the wall.

“Ya! Brother!” Jin Yuanxun called out breathlessly.

Chu Tianqiu turned around to look at him somewhat puzzled, then chuckled: “I rarely see you out of breath… What happened? What about ‘Quantum Leap’?”

“I’m not sure how to say this, Brother…” Jin Yuanxun steadied his breathing, then shook his head. “It seems like ‘Quantum Leap’ is a bit disobedient… I can’t use it…”

“Can’t use it…?” Chu Tianqiu stared at Jin Yuanxun for a while, then asked: “Did something happen to you these past two days?”

“No… that’s not it, Brother.” Jin Yuanxun shook his head. “It seems like everyone’s ‘Echoes’ can’t be used properly here… I don’t know what’s going on.”

After hearing this, Chu Tianqiu narrowed his eyes and raised his head, looking at Earth-Dragon and Qinglong standing on high.

Although this was his first time entering a “Dragon’s” game venue, he quickly caught on.

To be precise, this strange space could no longer be considered the “Land of Finality,” so abilities unique to the “Land of Finality” were difficult to utilize here as well.

But wouldn’t this be too dangerous…?

If everyone had to give up their “Echoes,” he and Wen Qiaoyun might still manage, but what about those who survived relying on “Echoes,” such as Yan Zhichun, Jin Yuanxun, and Doctor Zhao…?

“But it’s okay, Brother.” Jin Yuanxun said. “I’ll work hard to find the feeling.”

“Did something happen at the ‘front line’ just now?” Chu Tianqiu asked again.

“Yes!” Jin Yuanxun nodded. “Sister Qiaoyun just had a confrontation with Brother Junnan.”

“Had a confrontation…?” Chu Tianqiu raised an eyebrow. “Who won?”

Jin Yuanxun really had no way to distinguish who was the victor in that match.

From the results, Chen Junnan won, but from appearances, he seemed more like he had fled in panic.

Thinking of this, he could only briefly tell Chu Tianqiu everything that had just happened in a few words.

Chu Tianqiu listened carefully without saying a word, throughout keeping his index finger touching his forehead.

“So that’s the situation, Brother.” Jin Yuanxun said. “Who exactly lost on our side? Do you think he has ‘Cannon’ on him?”

Chu Tianqiu didn’t speak. He didn’t care whether Chen Junnan actually had “Cannon” on him or not—rather, he cared about another matter.

“From beginning to end… only Chen Junnan showed his face?” Chu Tianqiu asked.

“Yes, Brother.” Jin Yuanxun said. “It seems at the very beginning someone came to the ‘Chu River-Han Boundary’ and greeted Brother Zhang Shan, but left very quickly.”

“In other words, Chen Junnan really might be carrying several ‘characters’ on him.” Chu Tianqiu said. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t there… otherwise I should have had you all go rob him together. We may have missed the best opportunity.”

“Ah…?” Jin Yuanxun was stunned for a moment. “But is this really possible, Brother… that person really brought all the ‘characters’ to provoke us…?”

“Precisely because you all know it’s impossible, that’s why Qi Xia might use this stratagem.” Chu Tianqiu answered. “Only during the first meeting can we guess what ‘characters’ the opponent has on them. The next time we see Chen Junnan… even I can’t say for sure how many ‘characters’ he’s carrying—this is the ultimate purpose of this scheme. If we swarm him next time to rob him, we might very well only get one ‘character.'”

“But now…” Jin Yuanxun sighed. “Sister Qiaoyun, Sister Zhichun, and Sister Liunian have already gone to ‘invade’ the other side. Do you need me to bring them back…?”

After hearing this, Chu Tianqiu’s expression darkened as he said to Jin Yuanxun: “Jin Yuanxun, do you recognize the ‘character’ in your hand?”

Jin Yuanxun nodded: “It’s ‘Soldier,’ right…? Brother, we also have Chinese language instruction where I’m from, it’s just that the classmates don’t speak it.”

“It is ‘Soldier.'” Chu Tianqiu responded. “Then do you know… why I gave this ‘character’ to you?”

“Because ‘Soldier’… is more like me?” Jin Yuanxun said. “I’m just a small soldier, like this.”

“No.” Chu Tianqiu said. “In my calculations, ‘Soldier’ is currently our most important ‘character.’ I would even feel uneasy carrying this ‘character’ myself—I can only entrust it to you, after all, you have ‘Quantum Leap.'”

Chu Tianqiu’s short sentence contained too much information, making it impossible for Jin Yuanxun to understand all at once.

“‘Soldier’ is the most important…?”

“Yes.” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “If we lose ‘Soldier,’ we’ve already lost half the game. But now your ‘Quantum Leap’ can’t activate—this is pretty much the worst situation. So if you rashly go to the ‘front line’ now to call them back, it’s a bit risky for this game.”

“But Brother, I still don’t understand… why?” Jin Yuanxun asked. “Brother Zhang Shan, Sister Qiaoyun, and Sister Zhichun all seem more reliable than me…”

“They’re too ‘strong.'” Chu Tianqiu said. “Jin Yuanxun, Zhang Shan would take this ‘character’ and fight the opponent openly and honorably. Wen Qiaoyun and Yan Zhichun would use this ‘character’ as a bargaining chip to gamble with the opponent. All of this stems from their ‘strength’—they’re too confident.”

“What…?”

“While Doctor Zhao and Xu Liunian are too timid.” Chu Tianqiu said. “Jin Yuanxun, in the entire team, only you would use your life to protect this ‘character.’ None of the others will do.”

Jin Yuanxun looked at Chu Tianqiu somewhat incredulously, feeling it was a bit hard to understand.

It was clearly just a “Soldier”… why would a “Soldier” be this important?

In Xiangqi, each side has a full five “Soldiers,” and these “Soldiers” can be used as cannon fodder whether at the opening, midgame, or end. Yet now Chu Tianqiu was telling him this “Soldier” was more important than other pieces.

“I suspect Qi Xia’s thinking won’t differ much from mine.” Chu Tianqiu said. “Their ‘Soldier’ is equally important, but there are quite a few formidable people on the other side. I have no way to deduce who has the ‘Soldier.'”

“Then what should I do now, Brother?”

“The situation is rather tricky now.” Chu Tianqiu said. “I suspect we’re about to start losing ‘characters.’ Wen Qiaoyun, Yan Zhichun, and Xu Liunian’s ‘invasion’ isn’t wise. The time ahead depends entirely on their individual abilities… Jin Yuanxun… this time you’re in charge of observing first, until the ‘invasion’ is over.”

“It doesn’t matter if they lose ‘characters’ at the ‘front line’?” Jin Yuanxun asked again.

“It doesn’t matter.” Chu Tianqiu answered. “The opponent is Qi Xia. Wanting to win against him without losing a single soldier is simply wishful thinking.”

“Alright… then I understand…” Jin Yuanxun agreed.

“By the way…” Chu Tianqiu slightly furrowed his brow at this moment, recalling another matter. “Jin Yuanxun… you just said… Chen Junnan repeatedly gave Doctor Zhao looks?”